Let Love Bleed
by Seraphim Orion
Summary: Post DoC. New discoveries lead to Vincent's nightmares of Lucrecia resurfacing. he thought he could begin life anew, but there was still one last thing to settle. He seeks help from his friends, but will they be able to bring him back from despair.
1. Dreams Fade Into Nightmares

Title: Let Love Bleed

Rating: T, may go higher later.

Description:Post DoC. New discoveries lead to Vincent's nightmares of Lucrecia resurfacing. he thought he could begin life anew, but there was still one last thing to settle. He seeks help from his friends, but will they be able to bring him back from despair**.**

Pairings: CloTi, OneSided Yuffentine(Yuffie has a crush on Vincent), plenty of others later on.

AN: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.

**Chapter 1 - Dreams Fade Into Nightmares **

A woman stood inside a stone room filled wall to wall with bookcases holding hundreds of ancient books, reports, and theses. A tall man with a cold demeanor and black hair that hung over his right eye stood across from the woman. "Hello, Ma'am, I have been assigned by President Shinra to be your personal bodyguard." The man said this with a cold stiffness, as if he could care less about this woman. He was only here because Shinra made him, and the only reason he worked for Shinra was because he had nothing else. He reached out his hand to shake the woman's. "My name is Valentine. Vincent Valentine, that is."

The women offered her hand in response to his. Her gentle skin warmed his cold flesh as he shook her hand. She smiled lightly and her bright blue eyes gleamed. "I'm Dr. Lucrecia Crescent." His red eyes met hers, and they were filled with warmth he hadn't felt ever in his life. It was then that something inside him changed forever.

A man suddenly awoke from his deep slumber in the Kalm Inn. His pale skin was sweaty, and his crimson eyes were filled with both a serene peace and a strange fear. _'It was a dream? No, another nightmare.'_ The room carried the fragrant smell of red wine. _'They seem even more vivid now. Now that…'_ He stopped himself in mid-sentence, not wanting to utter those words. He got up off of the bed, and threw the red cloak that had been draped over the chair over his body. He buckled the belts that held it on his shoulders as he turned to look out the window. The sun was starting to rise. Stooped, as though he carried the weight of the world, he whispered, "I thought I said goodbye forever." He sorrowfully stared at a pile of papers that sat on the table. _'But now that I know that…'_ He still couldn't bring himself to say it. As he pulled his long black hair behind his ear, he picked up the stack of papers and proceeded to exit the room.

He had decided that it was time that he turned to his friends. After years of fighting it, he realized that he truly had some friends in this world that cared about him, and as much as he didn't like to admit it, he was able to find some comfort in his friends. He decided that he wanted to be happy again. He couldn't remember the last time he had even truly laughed, or smiled. _'Lucrecia… Why did this happen to us? It seems as though Shinra controlled our lives. And Hojo. He was in on it too. Damn them all! Hojo turned me into this… this monster.'_ He stopped for a second and looked at his golden claw. _'To die… I would give anything to be able to finally rest. But I cannot. I need to help the others restore the planet to what it was before people like Hojo and President Shinra ruined it.'_

Vincent took out his phone and opened it, greeted by a look of disgust as he read the words that sprawled across the screen: Yuffie was here. He ignored it for now and scrolled through his contacts until he came to the name Shelke. He started to send his message as he continued to traverse the plains.

--

"Tifa," said a small, somewhat monotonic voice as a girl walked down the stairs. Her khaki skirt floated slightly as she made her final step on the landing. There was a woman in the kitchen behind the bar washing dishes in a boringly domestic manner.

"Yes Shelke," Tifa replied in a humming tone. She wouldn't admit it, but she was a bit bored of having a normal life. It had been a while since her last adventure and it seemed like it was time for something new to happen. She has not had this normal of a life in quite a while. She was opposed to her thoughts though, saying that the bar and practice were enough for her. There was one thing she wanted however.

"I have received a message from Vincent Valentine saying that he will be here soon. Should I prepare a room for him?" She asked this in her normally calm manner, but on the inside, she was a bit excited. She had always enjoyed Vincent's presence, and she felt as though she owed him something. After all, if it weren't for him, she wouldn't be here now. Her only regret was that her sister- she didn't like to think about her sister. It made her sad, and that is the one emotion she has had enough of.

"Of course," Tifa said turning to the girl. As soon as she replied, Shelke turned around and walked back up the stairs. Tifa was starting to feel like she should just turn the bar into a boarding house for former AVALANCHE members. After all, two of them were already staying there. Yuffie had also been there since the beginning of the week. She has been playing games with Marlene and Denzel. Tifa loved having kids around. She hoped that someday she might have some her own. If only, well, if only some people were a bit smarter, no names mentioned. Here she is, twenty-three years old, tending a bar in Edge, and it seems like he doesn't even have a clue.

Some nights Shera would call and ask if Tifa and Cloud would like to come to Rocket Town and join Cid and herself for a meal. Sometimes the answer was yes, sometimes no. Shera would always ask how Tifa and Cloud were doing, with a specific meaning in mind. And as always, the answer was 'okay.' Tifa had a sigh in her spirit, and a hope in her heart. _'What do I have to do to get through to him!' _She looked down at her watch. _'Oh, I almost forgot!'_ She suddenly remembered that Cid and Barret were coming to the bar tonight. _'Seems like it will be a group reunion tonight.' _Tifa laughed to herself at the coincidence. The only ones missing would be Reeve and Red. No one has heard from Red in a while. He has been missing for weeks. Probably off doing some research in the canyon. Reeve was busy working with the WRO trying to restore the planet to what it once was before Meteorfall and Shinra. For that matter, they would take restoring it to what it was before the Deep Ground incident. Oh the sins that Shinra committed against the planet. "Huh, I wonder," Tifa began to trail back into her thoughts after she had finished the dishes. She put down the dishtowel, and hung up the apron that was once tied around her waist. She began to wonder what Rufus and his Turks were up to. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the door open. "Oh, hey you!" She shot a big smile at the man standing in the doorway.

--

Vincent walked the streets of Edge, on his way to the Seventh Heaven. The city was surprisingly empty, which was odd for a Friday evening. He wanted to just collapse there where he stood, but he knew that if he rested now, he would find no solace in his dreams or his nightmares. He wondered if his struggle would ever end. _'Am I doomed to walk this path for eternity?'_ He started to hear a faint set of footsteps. They were the only ones on the street. They were light, but rushed. A woman most likely, but she was running for some reason. She turned the corner and started to run towards Vincent. She was looking down at the ground, and suddenly ran into him and knocked him to floor, spilling the papers she was carrying. As he fell to the ground, his phone fell out of his pocket. "I'm so sorry," she said with a jerk. Normally he would've dodged her, but he was too buried in his thoughts to even notice she was coming right at him.

"It's alright," he said as he helped her pick up the papers. He started to read the documents he was holding. "Gast's work. Interesting." He gave her back her papers. "Are you a scientist?"

"Hardly," she said as she gathered the rest of the papers. "Well, yes and no. It's more of a hobby of mine. I enjoy learning." She was a beautiful woman. She had auburn red hair that was pulled into a ponytail, and her green eyes examined her scattered paperwork. Her fair skin seemed to glimmer in the rising moon's light.

After he finished looking her over, he gave her the last of the papers. "I see. Well if you would excuse me, I must be going." He gathered himself and continued on his way. He had many other things to worry about.

"Thank you," she said as he walked past her. She looked around and noticed a phone on the ground. "Hey, wait, you forgot," but before she could finish her sentence, he was already gone. "Huh." She picked up the phone and opened it. She read the words 'Yuffie was here' and became very curious. She continued on to look through the contacts. Barret Wallace; Cid Highwind; Cloud Strife; Reeve Tuesti; Tifa Lockhart; Yuffie Kisaragi. "It can't be! I recognize all of those names! There is only one missing!" She thought for a second. "Oh my-" She cut herself off as she ran in the direction that Vincent headed.


	2. Our Haunted Pasts

**Chapter 2 - Our Haunted Pasts**

"Hey Tifa." The spiky-haired man entered the building and wiped off his boots. "How did the business go today?" He smiled as he approached the bar to get a drink. The sun had just set on the city and it was quiet outside.

"The same as always," Tifa said with a frown. "A few customers here and there, but not too much besides that." She came out from behind the bar and gave the man a hug. "You never came back last night. I was a bit worried." She said that with a small smile, trying to not make him feel too intimidated. After all, he had actually stayed put for a year, with the exception of a few small trips, which was the longest he had actually stayed in one place since Meteorfall, and she didn't want to scare him off now.

"I had to make a delivery to Cosmo Canyon." He sighed and grabbed the glass of water that sat in front of him. " I knew I wouldn't make it back before nightfall, so I decided to stay the night at the Inn." He was glad to be back home. It felt good to have a place he could call that.

She nodded her head with a quick smile. "Did you see Red?" Her voice trailed off as she quickly walked upstairs to see what the kids had been up to.

"Yeah, I spent some time with him today." He noticed that Tifa seemed to be concerned about something. He couldn't put his finger on what it was though. "He is actually working with Reeve now on some solutions to the Mako power problem." Tifa walked back down the stares laughing hysterically at something. "He seems to believe the canyon's old windmills are the best idea. What is so funny?"

She couldn't help but laugh at the sight she had seen. "Marlene and Denzel have pinned Yuffie and started tickling her." Tifa always got a kick out of those kids' antics.

"She is still here?" Cloud wondered why Yuffie had stayed so long. Its not that he minded, it's just that it's usually not what she does.

Tifa looked around to make sure no one was listening. "Don't you remember? I'm trying to keep her here. We are having a surprise birthday party for her on Sunday." Cloud looked at her with a bit of confusion. "She is turning 20!" Tifa was bit proud of Yuffie. She had observed her grow up from a thieving teenage girl into a beautiful and smart young woman.

"Whose turning what?" A young woman said proudly as she walked down the stairs. She smiled brightly at the two. "Welcome back Cloud!" She walked over to him and gave him a big hug.

"So you managed to escape the grasp of those two rascals?" Tifa had turned to the kitchen refrigerator to take out some left over food to heat up. She assumed Vincent might be a bit hungry when he arrived. If not Vincent, then Cid and Barret most assuredly would be.

"Of course! No one tackles the great ninja Yuffie!" Yuffie gave them a big smile and then took a seat at the bar next to Cloud. Tifa smiled at Yuffie's response. _'At least some things never change.' _"Vincent not here yet?"

"No," Tifa said leaning on the counter. "He should be here soon though." Tifa couldn't help but stare at the somewhat smiling man with the glowing Mako-blue eyes. He noticed her looking at him and gave her a smile. Tifa quickly turned away and blushed a bit.

"Vincent's coming?" Cloud noticed Tifa's slight blush. He loved it when she was embarrassed. To be truthful, he loved everything about her. He just wasn't sure how to show her his feelings. He didn't know how to move on from the perpetually circling state they were in. All he knew was that he loved her.

"Yep!" Yuffie said in her usual peppy tone. "He sent Shelke a message about a half hour ago." Yuffie smirked a bit. She was a smart young woman, so she knew that they were planning something for her birthday. "How was your trip Cloud?"

"Uneventful as always," he said with a shrug. "I did get to see Red though. I was telling Tifa earlier that he had been working with Reeve and the WRO on some power solutions." Cloud took the last sip of his water, and made his way up the stairs to see Marlene and Denzel.

After Yuffie was sure that Cloud wasn't listening, she decided that it was time to tease Tifa a little. "He saw you blushing," she said, proud of her observation skills. She knew that Tifa liked Cloud, and she was almost positive Cloud liked her.

"I know," she said with a matter-of-fact tone, "and if he liked me, he would have done something about it by now." Tifa didn't like talking about the subject. She walked over to the oven and took out the heated leftovers and placed them on the stove.

"You give him too much credit," Yuffie said with a snicker. "Cloud wouldn't know what to do in a situation like this even if it came up and bit him on the butt." Yuffie had the same philosophy about all guys. "All men need a little guidance every now and then."

Tifa couldn't help but laugh at Yuffie's advice. "Well maybe I should-" Tifa was interrupted mid-sentence by an opening door. Vincent walked in to the bar. Tifa knew that there was something wrong the minute she saw him, but knew that Vincent wouldn't want to be bothered about. "Hi Vincent."

"Vinnie!" Yuffie got up out of her seat and ran towards the cloaked man. She through her arms around Vincent's thin waist to give him a big hug. She did it partly because she knew it would bug him, and partly because she was glad to see him.

Vincent just stood there with a blank expression on his face, arms floating in mid-air ready to pry Yuffie off him. For a moment, he was unable to move because of the shock, but he then moved his right arm to pat her back hesitantly with his human hand, instead of prying her off. Yuffie interpreted this action to mean 'Get off or die,' and quickly let go of Vincent.

"Its nice to see you too, Yuffie," he said as he adjusted his cloak. "Hello Tifa," he said as he approached the bar. Vincent knew that he was going to be plagued with 'How are you?'s and 'What have you been up to's which he really didn't want to deal with right now.

"Are you hungry, Vincent? I've prepared some leftovers you can eat." She smiled at him as she cot a cup and plate out of the cabinets. She knew that he most likely wouldn't want anything to eat. _'Have I actually ever seen Vincent eat?'_

"No thank you," he said kindly. "I do appreciate the thoughtfulness, however." He knew that Tifa had already expected that answer so he didn't feel very badly about it. "Actually," he started in his dark tone, "would it be possible that I go to my room. I have had a long day, and there are… many things I need to contemplate."

"No problem," Tifa said with a smile. She was a bit curious, but knew that Vincent would tell someone when he was ready. "Vincent," she said, as he was about to walk away, "if you ever need to talk to someone, you have plenty of friends who are willing to listen to you."

"I know," he said with a nod of his head. "Thank you," With that, he disappeared up the stairs. As he reached the top of the stairs, he heard familiar voices coming from a room. He walked down the hallway and opened the door to the sight of Marlene pulling Cloud's spiky blonde hair.

"Vincent," Cloud said as Vincent appeared in the doorway. "Its good to see you." Cloud pulled Marlene off of him and stood up and walked towards him. Shelke, who had also been in the room, had already made her way out into the hall.

"Vincent Valentine," she said in her monotonic voice. "I am happy to see you." You wouldn't be able to tell on the outside, but on the inside she was blushing. She didn't know what the feeling was, but she knew it was a happy feeling, which made her glad.

"Hello Shelke, Cloud." Vincent really didn't feel like talking right now, but he knew he needed to tell Cloud. It was important to him that he told someone. "Cloud, may I speak with you."

"Sure Vincent," Cloud said as he made his way to see his friend. "Shelke, would you mind helping the kids get to bed?" He hated to ask her to do it, but he knew that when Vincent wanted to talk about something, it was important.

"Not at all Cloud," she said as she walked back into the room. She knew it was the least she could do after they have treated her so kindly and allowed her to stay with them. "Vincent Valentine," she said as she turned around, "I will see you later."

Vincent nodded at the redheaded girl with the glowing light blue Mako eyes. He proceeded to his room, with Cloud following right behind him. _'How am I going to explain this to Cloud?' _he pondered to himself as he sat down on the chair in the corner of the room.

Cloud sat down on the bed that was across from Vincent. "What is it that you wanted to talk about, Vincent?" Cloud was ready to listen to anything Vincent needed to say. He hoped it was something good, but he knew that most likely wasn't the case.

"I went back to Shinra Manor," Vincent started. "I hoped it would have been the last time, but now I am not sure." Vincent reached behind his back, and threw Cloud the stack of papers he had removed. "I made a new discovery. Thirty-five years ago, I met Dr. Lucrecia Crescent. Over the course of two years, we developed a close relationship. One night, it was decided that.., that it was time we moved forward in our relationship." Cloud just looked at him with a blank expression on his face. "Cloud, surely you understand…"

Cloud interrupted him before he went any further. "I understand, I just… I saw a picture I really didn't need in my head." Cloud laughed a bit, trying to shake off the awkwardness.

"I see," Vincent said with a hidden smirk. "Well a few days later, Lucrecia discovered that she had conceived. I was certain it was not my child. A few hours later, Hojo confessed that last night he had gotten her drunk and had his way with her." Vincent saw another blank expression come across Cloud's face. "Another picture?"  
"A worse picture," Cloud said with a shudder. Cloud started to wonder where Vincent was going with this story.

Vincent just stared at Cloud for a while before continuing with his story. "He claimed that during years of working with her, Hojo had grown with lust for her. After that, Hojo and Lucrecia used the child to finish the Jenova project and created Sephiroth." Vincent paused for a while before he continued. "He lied to us. After all these years, I have discovered that Sephiroth… Sephiroth was my son. The atrocities he committed against the Planet were my fault.

Cloud just looked at him for a few minutes before responding. "I'm sorry Vincent," Cloud said, trying to comfort him. He wasn't quite sure what to say, or what he even could say.

"It is all outlined in that report," Vincent said looking at the stack of papers. "I was hand picked by Shinra for the Job, and so was Lucrecia. Lucrecia for her brains, and myself for my body. They put us in close quarters so that we would develop a relationship, and Hojo claimed the child was his because they knew that if we knew the child was ours, Lucrecia would not allow the experiments. We were bred like beasts."

"Why would Hojo still claim that he was Sephiroth's father when we confronted him at the Mako cannon if it wasn't the truth?" Cloud was so confused. Why did everything have to be so complicated?

"I can only assume that he had gone crazy, and since he had claimed for so long that he was Sephiroth's father, he himself started to believe that it was the truth." Just then they heard a knocking at the door. "Come in," Vincent said with a little annoyance in his voice.

It was Tifa at the door. "Vincent, there is someone here to see you." Vincent raised an eyebrow curiously as he wondered who could possibly be here to see him.


	3. Of Crushes, Visitors, and Phones

**Chapter 3 - Of Crushes, Visitors, and Phones**

With a rushed pace, she walked down the street, positive that she knew the destination of the mysterious man she had met only moments earlier. '_I can't believe I just met one of the heroes of the planet and didn't even realize it was him.'_ She continued this train of though as she made her way to the Seventh Heaven, using words such as 'stupid' and 'idiot' to describe herself.

Noticing the closed sign on the door, she thought about going home, and bringing it back tomorrow, but decided that it might be important for him to have his phone. She summoned her courage and knocked on the door, getting ready to meet the the heroes who saved the planet, not only once, but three times.

--

"So Teef, what's the plan of attack?" Yuffie asked with a vibrance that only she could have at this time of night.

"There is no plan of attack." Tifa sighed leaving her current task of cleaning up the kitchen to confront the ninja. "I don't have any plans for the future at the moment."

"Ah, come on Teef," Yuffie said as she spun around on the bar stool. "When was the last time we talked about boys together?"

"The other night when I asked if there were any guys that you had set her sights on," Tifa said as she walked around the bar and next to the girl she thought of as her sister. "And you never gave me an answer either," she teased, slightly shoving her shoulder into the girl next to her.

"Oh, come on! You know that when I say talk about boys, I actually mean talk about you and Cloud," She said, returning the shove. "Besides, the only guys in my life are either like some sort of father or uncle to me, resemble a dog, or Cloud. And I have a friend who has dibs on him (which is the point where Tifa interrupted with a stifled laugh), which is alright, cuz he's kind a like a brother to me anyway. Or there's vampire boy, who only shows up when somethings wrong."

"Hmm, so you don't put Vincent in the uncle category?"

"Ha! No way! Vinnie's to hot to be my uncle!" Yuffie quickly covered her mouth with her hands. "Did I just say that aloud?"

"Yep," Tifa said, her lips forming a wide smile. "I guess I got the answer to my question."

"Hey! No fair!" the young ninja shouted in outrage. "First of all, I didn't mean to say that out loud, so you can't use it against me," she said waving her hands in Tifa's face. "Second of all, just because I think he's hot doesn't mean that I like him!" _'Me and my big mouth,' _Yuffie thought, mentally slapping her hand on her forehead.

It was then that a knock came on the door. _'Saved by the... uh, knock on the door,'_ Yuffie thought, sighing with relief. "I'll get it," Yuffie said, jumping off her seat.

"Wonder who that could be?" Tifa asked to no one in particular since Yuffie was already half way to the door. "Couldn't be Barret or Cid, they would never take the time to actually knock," she said as she shrugged.

Yuffie reached for the handle and slowly pulled the door open. "Hi," the woman at the door said shyly. "My names Sara Frost. Is Mr. Valentine here?" Yuffie looked her over, slightly annoyed that the woman was here to see Vincent. "You must be Miss Kisaragi?" Sara asked, looking into the grey eyes of the ninja in front of her.

"What? No! The names Yuffie. Miss Kisaragi makes me sound old," Yuffie said, allowing the woman to enter the empty bar. "Why? Did Vince say something about me?"

"You're not proving your point Yuffie!" Tifa teased from behind the bar, receiving a slightly hushed 'Shut up' from her friend at the door. "I'll go get Vincent," Tifa said slightly laughing as she walked up the stairs.

"Umm, no," the woman said, replying to Yuffie's question. "I've barely even met Mr. Valentine. I just recognize you from all the news reports about the people who saved the world."

"Yep, thats me, the Great Ninja Yuffie, Savior of the Planet!" Yuffie thought for a second about what the woman had just said. "Wait, why are you here to see Vinnie if you barely even know him?" the young ninja asked as she scrutinized Sara's features.

"Well, I ran into him earlier and he accidently left something behind," Sara said, noticing a red cloaked man walking down the stairs, followed by two others. "Oh, Mr. Valentine."

"Vincent is fine," he said in his rough voice. "You're the woman from earlier," the gunslinger said, his tone of voice a bit lighter than before. "What's your name?"

"I'm Sara Frost," she said, half frightened, half captivated by his crimson eyes. "I'm sorry to bother you Vincent, but you had dropped your phone when I ran into you earlier, and I figured it might be important for you to have it tonight," she explained as she pulled out his phone from the front pocket of her pants.

"Thank you," he said as he grabbed the object she handed him. He looked in her eyes and noticed something he hadn't noticed before, her green eyes had a mako gleam. "Hmm, may I ask you a question?" he asked as he placed his phone inside one of his pockets.

"Sure, thats fine." She nodded at him, smiling.

"Yours eyes have a mako gleam, like someone from SOLDIER would have." He paused for a second, hoping that he wasn't intruding. "What is it from?"

She was somewhat shocked that he had noticed, although his eyes, and the eyes of the man behind him, _'Most likely Cloud Strife,'_ she thought, had the same sort of shine. "I have an illness, and the only way to keep me healthy," she said with a shy smile, "is to have small doses of mako injected in me on a regular basis."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Vincent sighed, not really sure of what else to say.

"Its alright," she said giving him a smile, "I'm used to it." She looked around at the other beople in the building, all of who had sad faces on. "Well, I better get going," she said, not wanting to intrude any more than she already had. "It was nice to meet you all," she said waving. "Maybe I'll see you all some other time." She headed to the door and opened it.

"Thank you, again," Vincent said as he stepped to the door to close it.

"My pleasure," she said smiling as she walked away from the bar.

After the silence past, Vincent decided that it was time to rest. "Goodnight," he said, making his way to the stairs, before remembering the grafiti that plagued the screen of his phone. "By the way, Yuffie."

"Yeah Vincent," the ninja said eagerly, turning to face the mysterious gunslinger.

"Fix it," he said, handing her his phone, and continuing to make his way up stairs.

"Aw, come on Vinnie, I was just having a little fun!" the ninja shouted, her words falling on deaf ears. "Fine," she said with a sigh and sat down at the bar, fidgeting with Vincent's phone.

"What did you do this time, Yuffie," Tifa said, looking at the girl from the other side of the bar.

Yuffie didn't say anything. She only turned the phone so that Tifa could she the words that were on the screen.

"Ha! Oh yeah, thats really gone make him fall for you," Tifa said, laughing at the ninja sitting at the bar.

"What?" Cloud said, confused as to the conversation that was taking place at the bar. "Whose going to fall for you?"

"Nothing and no one!" Yuffie protested, covering the bar maid's mouth before she spoke out of turn.

"Whatever," Cloud sighed as he walked up the stairs.

"I told you Teef! I don't like him," the infuriated ninja said, once she was sure Cloud was out of ear shot. "Well, I mean, I like him but... ugh, whatever," Yuffie said, starting to get up from her seat. "If you so much as whisper anything about this, I will shove the Conformer so far-"

It was Tifa's turn to cover Yuffie's mouth, letting only mumbles be heard coming from the ninja's mouth. "You need to stop hanging out around Cid," Tifa said as she turned to walk up the stairs.

"Hey! I wasn't finished with you!" Yuffie shouted up the stairs, waving her fist wildly in the air. "Come back here!"

--Author's Notes--

Wow, I haven't updated this in forever. Sorry about that. Anyway, I hoped everyone liked the chapter. I have had a massive writer's block, and, in my opinion, this is the first half decent thing I've written in the past year. Anyway, thank you for reading, and remember, people who review are people who get chapters faster. Oh, and by the way, I don't own Final Fantasy, Vincent, Yuffie, Tifa, Cloud, or any other characters, with the exception of my OC, Sara Frost.

Thanks,

Orion


	4. The Edge of Sorrow

**Chapter 4 - The Edge of Sorrow**

Rain ran down the windows of the Seventh Heaven. Yuffie had always thought that rain was like the tears of Angels, looking down from heaven, crying out in hopes that their tears would wash all evil from the face of the planet. She had been sitting on her bed, in the room she shared with Shelke, for the past half hour. The young shinobi looked out the window, thinking about life. She rarely let the others see how deep and contemplative she really was, maintaining her seemingly hyper-active nature on the outside. Sometimes she dropped her protective shield, trying to prove the things everyone thought about her wrong.

She stood up from the spot on her bed where she had perched herself, sighing a depressing sigh. _'I should get to bed,'_ she thought walking over to the closet to get her night clothes. She opened the closet door and noticed the pile of dirty clothes on the floor. 'I need to do laundry tomorrow.' She looked through her wardrobe and found a light blue, slightly oversized shirt, and a pair of black, knee-length shorts. The ninja put her stealth skills into use, quietly closing the closet door and tip-toeing to the other door, trying not to wake the girl she so nicely referred to as 'the Ice Queen.'

Still in stealth mode, she opened the door slowly, checking to see if there was anybody in the hall. She told herself that it was a game, trying to get to the bathroom and back without getting caught, but the real reason was that she didn't to get stuck in a conversation with anyone at the moment. She didn't want to talk with Tifa, avoiding any possibility of continuing their earlier conversation, and Cloud, well, Cloud wouldn't stop to talk to her anyway, with the possible exception of a quick goodnight. She decided then that it was only Tifa she was avoiding. _'Speak of the devil,'_ she thought, grinning as she watched Tifa walk out of the bathroom, dressed in a grey t-shirt and and navy blue sleep pants.

"I wonder where Cid and Barret are," she said to herself in a hushed voice. She sighed a bit, concerned for her friends. "I hope their alright." She started to walk down the hall to her room.

"They'll be fine," she heard a voice say. Cloud walked up the last few steps, holding a glass of water. Tifa stared at him, a blush rising on her face. Cloud had neglected to put on shirt when he changed into his night clothes, or rather, night pants, since all he was wearing was a pair of green sleep pants.

"Oh, hey Cloud," she said, trying to hide the fact that she was blushing. Its not like she hadn't seen him shirtless before, but every time it had happened she had the same response.

"Hey, Teef, I-" he interrupted himself, blushing a bit as he scratched the back of his head, an action he always did when he was at a loss for words. _'No, not now, not yet. I'm not ready.'_ He lifted his head, which had been staring at the ground, trying to reduce the awkwardness of the situation. "Goodnight, Tifa."

"Goodnight Cloud," she said quietly and turned away, listening to his footsteps as he walked into his room. _'I love you Cloud.'_ She walked away, and entered her room for the night.

Yuffie opened the door all the way, annoyed with the situation. _'Stupid Chocobo Head,'_ she thought, sighing as she entered the bathroom, her clothes in tow. A few minutes later, she reappeared, dressed in the clothes that she had chosen, her clothes from the previous day bunched between her arm and breasts. _'I wonder if Vincent is still awake,'_ she pondered as she made her way to his door. "Hey Vinnie," she whispered, "are you still awake?"

"Come in," a voice called to her, and she did just that. Vincent was siting on his bed, with one leg bent and his human hand resting on it. He was staring out the window, looking at the rain, just like she had done earlier.

"Hey Vincent," she said quietly looking at the man dressed in red in black. His crimson eyes turned to look at her for a few seconds before turning to look out the window again. "I just wanted to say goodnight, so, Goodnight Vincent."

"Goodnight Yuffie," he replied, still looking out the window. She turned to leave, and his eyes moved to watch her. "Yuffie..."

"Yeah Vinnie," she turned around, meeting his red eyes with hers. She loved those eyes, but was always afraid to look into them, and if she did, it was never a long amount of time. She felt that if she held eye contact, then his crimson eyes would see straight into her, piercing the shield she held in front of her. She was afraid that if he looked long enough, he could see straight into her soul, and maybe, he wouldn't like what he saw. _'But it doesn't matter anyway,'_ she thought, _'because Vincent Valentine will never love me.'_ She averted her eyes from him, looking out the window instead.

"I wanted to apologize for the way I treated you earlier." He was still looking at her. "I've just had... a lot of things going on, and I don't know what to do about it, and I've lost a lot of sleep over it." He knew there was something wrong with her , but knew that if he asked her about it she would just deny it, wave her hands and shake it off, then put her chipper mask back on. It upset him to see the young ninja like this. He shook his head and continued. "I apologize that I was harsh with you. It was not my intention."

"Its alright Vincent," she said, giving him a soft smile. "I'm just proud of you!"

He looked at her questioningly. "For what?"

"For speaking more than five words!," she she smiled at him again, this time showing him all her teeth. "That was like three sentences! Three long sentences!."

"I see," he said giving her a tiny smirk which she could clearly see over the top of his cloak.

"Hey Vincent," Yuffie said as she sat at the edge of his bed, clothes still in hand.

"Yes Yuffie?" he said, looking at her behind his cloak.

"If you ever want to talk about stuff, I'm here for you," she said shifting her eyes between his face, his claw hand, and the floor.

"You're the third person today who has offered that to me," he said, looking out the window.

"It's cause we care about you," she said, her eyes searching his facial features. 'It's because I care about you.' She leaned over and hugged him, catching him off guard. It was a bit of an awkward hug, since she was still using one of her arms to hold her clothes. After loosening up a bit, he placed his normal hand on her back. She pulled back after a minute, and stood up to walk to the door. "Goodnight Vincent," she said, opening the door slightly.

"Goodnight Yuffie." She exited the room and left him so that he could try and sleep.

"What was that all about?" Yuffie looked at the woman who had been waiting outside Vincent's Door. Tifa folded her arms and leaned against a wall. She looked at the young woman, noticing the once large smile on the girl's face fading into non-existence.

"Oh, nothing Teef. Just saying goodnight to Vinnie," the ninja stated, trying to look as cool as possible. "What are you doing out here?" she asked, trying to act innocent.

"I heard loud voices. I wanted to make sure everything was okay," the woman informed her friend.

"Aw, thanks for the concern Teef," Yuffie said, patting Tifa on the shoulder. "I was just congratulating Vinnie for his ability to speak more than five words at a time. Everything here is a-okay!"

"Okay," the woman said with a small smile on her face, obviously too tired tired to continue with the conversation. She turned around and stepped inside her room.

"Goodnight Tifa," Yuffie said, sighing contently. _'Now for a good nights rest,'_ the ninja thought, smiling a bit, as she made her way to her room for the night.

--

An icy wasteland stretched out for miles in each direction, never ending. Vincent stood there, barefoot and freezing, the icy wind piercing his pale skin. A pair of black pants and a blood red t-shirt were all that stood between him and the cold, he wasn't even wearing his gold gauntlet. He felt naked without his cloak and gauntlet, and he didn't even have the Cerberus to protect him. Vincent stood still for a few minutes, processing his current situation before walking forward. Deciding that he would rather not move against the wind, he started walking west, the wind now at his back.

After walking for what seemed to be an eternity, he saw the silhouette of a person in the distance. He started running, hoping that help was near. He was wrong. When the person came into focus, he immediately recognized the man waiting for him.

"Sephiroth."

As he got closer the white snow at his feet became red. He was now able to see the picture clearly. The snow was stained with blood, the bodies of victims strewn about the ground. Then he recognized the massacred people. _'No,'_ he thought, rejecting what he saw. "NO!" There on the blood red snow laid his comrades, his friends. Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Cid and Shera, Reeve, Nanaki, Yuffie, Shelke, and even the children, Denzel and Marlene.

"Why! Why did you kill them?" Vincent shouted at the man that was revealed to be his son.

"Because, Father," the silver-haired man stepped forward, blood covered sword in hand. "You cared about them. It was the only way to get your attention." Sephiroth gave him a malicious smile. "You never cared about me, you never loved me! I had to punish you for not being a father to me."

Vincent couldn't respond. This was yet another sin to add to his list. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"It's too late for that Father," Sephiroth replied, raising his sword, getting ready to strike. "None of it will matter soon." Vincent didn't even try to move, he knew this is what he deserved. The sword pierced his body, stabbing him through the heart. Vincent felt the pain as the sword ripped through his body.

"Very good Darling," a woman's voice said coming from a person approaching the scene, "give your Father what he deserves." When she came into view, Vincent felt even more pain go through his body. "

"Lucrecia!" Vincent fell to his knees as Sephiroth removed the sword. "Lucrecia! Why..." His voice was dying out. He fell into the snow, his blood pouring out and deepening the color of the already blood stained snow.

"Lucrecia!" Crimson eyes opened as he sat up in his bed. His skin was covered in cold sweat, the temperature of his body much lower than that of the room. "It was another nightmare." He stood up and put his shirt on. He wouldn't be able to sleep for the rest of the night.

He walked downstairs and filled a glass with water before sitting down in one of the booths in the Seventh Heaven. Lightning flashed in the horizon, soon followed by the sound of thunder. He thought that he had seen an airship flying in the rain-filled sky, but when the lightening flashed again, it was no longer there.

A half-hour, a shot of alcolhol from a bottle he didn't bother to read, and four glasses of water later, Vincent saw the door to the Seventh Heaven open. He reached down to where a holster should be to grab the Cerberus, realizing that he didn't bring downstairs with him. 'Oh great,' he thought to himself, but was releived when Cid and Barret walked through the door, dripping wet with rain.

"#!&!" the pilot exclaimed, swearing as always. "It's #!#in' rainin' cats and dogs out there." He reached into his coat pocket, hoping that his cigarettes weren't damaged. Sighing with relief, he pulled one out and lit up.

"Jes' what do you think you're doin', Cid!" The large black man shouted. "You're gonna give everyone cancer if ya' keep smoking those things."

"Shud up, what I do is my own business, and noone elses'" Cid rebutted, inhaling a large amount of smoke. He looked around the empty bar, noticing that it wasn't quite empty. He saw two crimson orbs glowing, and yelped a bit, before realising who those orbs belonged to. "Holy #&#, Vince!" the man said, holding a hand over his heart, "You could've given me a heart attack."

"I apologize," Vincent replied, standing up, and moving to where Cid and Barret were standing.

"Pansy," Barret muttered under his breath to Cid.

"Hey," Cid said, turning around to face the man with the gun-arm. "I heard you squealin' too," Cid said with a grin on his face.

"Tifa prepared a room for you," Vincent said in a stoic tone. "First room on the right once you get up stairs."

"Thanks Vince," Barret replied as he walked upstairs, the pilot right behind him.

'Might as well clean up the mess they made,' Vincent thought to himself. 'I have nothing better to do until everyone wakes up.' He walked over to the bar, grabbing his phone that was still sitting there. He opened it, the message that he noticed the morning before was gone. The clock read 4:13. The gunslinger closed the mobile device and shoved it in his pocket as he moved to the closet and grabbed a mop. Vincent moved to the puddles that had gathered on the wood floor and started mopping up the rainwater.

--Author's Notes--

I had the hardest time finishing this chapter. It felt like it just cut off at the end. I finally settled on leaving it that way, deciding not to leave you hanging for two chapters. The next chapter will vary a bit from the normal format. It's called Rewind, and you'll find out why its called that as soon as I post the next chapter.

In other news, I still do not own Final Fantasy or any of its characters, and every time I say that, I think I die a little inside

Also, Happy belated birthday to Vincent Valentine. I had originally hoped to get it up on the 13th to celebrate Vincent's birthday, although, I'm pretty sure fictional characters don't care if you give them presents on their birthday.

And as always, Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated. Constructive criticism, people! It does the writer good.

Thanks for reading,

Orion


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